Baltimore was chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts to take part in The Big Read this year. The program, designed to encourage communitites to read, is sponsored by Maryland Public Television and the Enoch Pratt Library.

Scheduled events include book discussions and 'Little Read' activities at library branches; discussions in juvenile detention programs; Mayor's Book Club activities at City Hall; and giveaways at the CityLit festival, Orioles games and Cinco de Mayo festivities, according to the MPT Web site.

If you missed the CityLit festival and a few of the other events listed, take heart! The book is a quick (I started and finished it last week) and satisfying read about a Hispanic boy struggling to understand concepts of good and evil, and how those forces work in the world around him.

There are discussions being held at libraries and recreation centers all around town throughout May. I plan to check out the Hamilton branch's event tonight.

For more information about upcoming Big Read events in your community, take a look at the Read Street calendar at the top right of this page.

(Photo courtesy of me, and I promise I'll get better at this.)